Muhammad Arif Khan Rajbana Sial
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{short description|Pakistani politician and chieftain}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Khan Muhammad Arif Khan Rajbana Sial
| image = West Punjab Legislative Assembly 1946-Muhammad Arif Khan Rajbana.jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth year|1913}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=y|2010|9|29|1913}}
| birth_place = Badh Rajbana, British India
| death_place = Jhang City, Pakistan
| office = Pakistani politician
| resting_place = Badh Rajbana, Pakistan
| native_name = خان محمد عارف خان
| occupation = Feudal lord/politician
| party = All India Muslim League
}}
Khan Muhammad Arif Khan Rajbana Sial ({{langx|ur|خان عارف خان}}) was a veteran politician, feudal lord and tribal chieftain from Badh Rajbana, Shorkot, Pakistan.{{Cite web|date=1 October 2010|title=Quaid's associate Arif Sial passes away|url=http://beta.dawn.com/news/893463/quaid-s-associate-arif-sial-passes-away|access-date=25 August 2020|website=Dawn}}
Early life and education
Khan was educated at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. With his cousin, Mahr Ghulam Abbas Khan, they inherited 30,000 acres of land each at a young age. This included the entirety of Badh Rajbana Janoobi, Badh Rajbana Shumali, Bela Badh, Khanpur, Anayat Shah, Dhoor Kot, Qasim Wala and Nawabpur villages. This area is collectively known as Badh Rajbana.
Political career
He is known for being a key figure in the independence movement and a close associate of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. His name is noted among the pioneers of the Pakistan Movement.
= Political views=
He was ardently pro-democracy and supported the vision of the Quaid. He openly and publicly opposed Field Marshal Ayub Khan while supporting the Fatima Jinnah, sister of Pakistan's founder, in the 1965 presidential election.{{Cite book|author=Fatima Jinnah|author-link=Fatima Jinnah |title=My Brother|publisher=Quaid-i-Azam Academy|year=1987|isbn=969-413-036-0|location=|pages=}}
File:City of Jhang Political Rally 1963.jpg
He also played a pivotal role in defeating General Zia-Ul-Haq's candidate, Khawaja Muhammad Safdar, for the post of speaker of the National Assembly in 1985.
= Political career=
He was elected to the All-India Constituent Assembly in 1946 as a member of the All India Muslim League. He was elected to parliament several times, the last time from Shorkot in 1985. He was the chairman of the District Council of Jhang on numerous occasions.{{Cite web|title=Legislators from JHANG (PP-61 to PP-70)|url=https://www.pap.gov.pk/uploads/previous_members/1997-2001/dist10.htm|access-date=26 August 2020|publisher=Punjab Provincial Assembly}}{{Cite web|title=National Assembly of Pakistan|url=http://www.na.gov.pk/en/content.php?id=121|access-date=26 August 2020|publisher=National Assembly of Pakistan}}{{Cite web|title=Members – Pre Independence Period (1897 to 1947)|url=http://papmis.pitb.gov.pk/en/members/past-members/punjab-legislative-assembly-1937-to-1947/pre-independence-period-1897-to-1947|access-date=26 August 2020|publisher=Punjab Provincial Assembly}}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=7th National assembly of Pakistan|url=http://www.na.gov.pk/uploads/former-members/7th%20National%20Assembly.pdf|access-date=|website=}}
He held the office of The Honourable Chief Whip for the All-India Muslim League, a position he retained till after independence. He remained the District President of Jhang for the Muslim League throughout his political career. He also served as a provincial and federal minister at various stages in his career.{{Cite web|title= Members' Directory|url=https://www.pap.gov.pk/members/profile/en/20/937|access-date=28 September 2020|publisher=Punjab Provincial Assembly}}
Family
He was the son of Nawab Mahr Khan Muhammad Rajbana Sial, who was a first-class Grand Zaildar, (which was the highest cadre) he held one of the largest zails in the province.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Punjab District Gazetteers, Jhang District, with Map, 1929 |website=South Asia Archive|url=http://www.southasiaarchive.com/Content/sarf.100009/222773|access-date=4 September 2020}}
Khan Arif Khan was the Sardar of the prominent Rajbana Sial Tribe of Jhang.{{Cite book|publisher=Punjab Government|url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.105607|title=Gazetteer Of The Jhang District|date=1883}}
His nephew and son in-law Khan Munawar Ali Khan Rajbana Sial has been the chairman of Tehsil Council Shorkot/Ahmedpur Sial on several occasions, as has his cousin, Mahr Ghulam Abbas Khan Rajbana Sial.
His grandson, Khan Jawad Ali Khan Rajbana Sial, is also a former parliamentarian.{{Cite web|title=Members – Provincial Assembly Thirteenth Legislator (Post)|url=http://papmis.pitb.gov.pk/en/members/past-members/provincial-assembly-of-the-punjab-1972-to-date/provincial-assembly-thirteenth-legislator-post|access-date=25 August 2020|publisher=Punjab Provincial Assembly}}